The Old Photo Album
by Florida's Firefly
Summary: During spring cleaning in the Clubhouse, Hamtaro finds an old photo album that reveals Boss's past, and brings several memories back to Boss. Chapter 9 IS UP! Boss goes into training to prove he is worthy of being 6...
1. In The Back Of The Closet

Disclaimer - First thing's first, I don't own Hamtaro or any of it's characters. The only characters that are mine, (in this chapter anyway,) are Snap and Charity.  
  
Also, I use the song 'Think Of Me' in this chap, WHICH BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE AT BIG IDEA ANIMATION STUDIOS, and is sung by Lisa Vischer (sp?) So as long as you know it is there's and not mine, you're good to go.  
  
I thought this up all at once and wrote it all within a couple of hours, so it may be kinda weak for the first chapter. The next chapters SHOULD be better...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was time once again for spring cleaning at the Ham-Ham Clubhouse.  
  
"Uh, hey, Boss!" called Panda. "You want me to make you a new desk chair? This one's legs are a little wobbly!"  
  
"Sure," Boss said, "but be sure clean the wood shavings up this time!!"  
  
Pashmina hummed as she brushed a feather duster on the top of the bookshelf. Snoozer slept up in the basket on the clothesline where he wouldn't be in the way of the cleaning.  
  
Looking over from where he was sweeping the floor, Hamtaro saw his pal Oxnard with that worried expression on his face while he was looking left and right in panic. "Oxy?" He walked over to him. "What's wrong?"  
  
Oxnard looked at him with tears in his eyes. "I-I can't find my sunflower seed! It's gone!"  
  
"Aw, you lost it again?"  
  
"Yes!" Oxnard covered his eyes with his paws. "I can't find it anywhere!!"  
  
Hamtaro thought and looked around. He sniffed the air and ran over to the closet. Reaching up, he turned the knob and opened the door. "Hah! Here it is!" He pointed at where the seed stuck out from under a pile of old books and boxes.  
  
"Oops." Oxnard blushed. "I must've dropped in when I was organizing the closet."  
  
"I'll get it out." Hamtaro reached out his paws and grabbed onto the seed. He began pulling. "Nnh! Nnnnnh!!!" He finally yanked it out. He turned around and held it out to Oxnard. "Here ya go!"  
  
But as soon as Oxnard took it back and rubbed it against his cheek lovingly, they both heard a strange noise. Hamtaro looked back just in time to see the pile of boxes and books and balls topple down on him. After the avalanche ceased, Hamtaro emerged out of the mass and one single ball bounced off his head. "Ouchichi!! Kushi-Kushi…" he rubbed his head.  
  
"Ditzy Boy!!" Stan teased with a laugh.  
  
Hamtaro opened one eye and glanced back into the closet. "Well, so much for…huh?" His ears perked up at the sight of something in the back of the closet. "Hey, what's this?" He climbed over the pile and reached in, pulling out the mysterious object. It was an old book of some sort, with a dusty, gold-lined, brown leather cover. He blew some of the dust off and slowly lifted up the cover. After looking at the first page for a moment, he walked over to the center of the room. "Hey, guys! Check this out!"  
  
The others glanced over. Curious, they ran over to him. "Hey," said Dexter. "What is that?"  
  
"Lemme see!" Cappy called. They all gathered around Hamtaro.  
  
"Hmm?" Boss looked over at them.  
  
"It is a photo album!" exclaimed Bijou.  
  
"Who are those hamsters?" asked Pashmina, pointing to three hamsters on the first page. Two of them were adults, one a male and the other a female. The male was an odd but almost exact resemblance to Boss, except the spot that covered Boss's snout only covered this hamster's nose. Also, he had no nick in his ear, but he did where the helmet that Boss wore today. The female was a solid light gray, with a large white star print on her forehead with two small white dots beside it. In between them was a feisty-looking youngster, looking almost exactly like the adult male. He looked about 6 in human years, and his large ears were perked up in a curious manner.  
  
A flash of realization came over Boss's face. "Hey!" He began running over to the gang. "Careful with that!"  
  
Howdy laughed and pointed at the young hamster. "Hey, who's that little feller?"  
  
Snatching the album away, Boss shot him a glare. "Me! That's who!" He stared at the album. "Holy cow, I haven't seen this thing in ages!" He ran over and sat in his Lay-Z-Ham. The others came and gathered around him as he stared at the picture.  
  
Laughing again, Howdy tapped his finger on young Boss. "Heehee, look at ya, Boss! Ya look like you're ears stayed at the dry cleaner too long!"  
  
Boss pushed his paw away. "Would ya get your finger off my face?" He flipped the page to see eight more pictures laid out in a standard way, four on both of the two pages.  
  
"Are these your parents, Boss?" Maxwell asked, pointing to a picture of the adult male and female together.  
  
"Yeah…" Boss said. "Snap and Charity."   
  
Looking at another picture, they saw what they supposed was Boss as a toddler, wearing the yellow helmet they all knew too well. But, it practically sat on top of his ears, looking like it was about to slip over them and cover his eyes at any time.  
  
Hamtaro laughed. "Who knew that thing would ever be too big for you, huh, Boss?" For a long moment, he heard no reply. "Boss?" he looked up at the field hamster.  
  
Boss stared at the pictures with a twinge of sadness in his eyes. "…These pictures bring back so many memories…" he said softly. "…So many explanations to things I've wondered all these years…I forgot this photo album even existed anymore."  
  
Bijou looked at the picture of Snap and Charity. "Boss, where are your parents living now?"  
  
Not wanting her to see the tears that rose up in his eyes, he turned his face from her. He slowly got off of his chair, lay the album down on it, and sulked into his room.  
  
"…Um, I don't think he wanted to talk about it." Stan whispered to Sandy after a while.  
  
Worried, Bijou picked up the album and sat it the chair. She opened the book to the very back, and saw a little kid's old crayon drawing of Boss and his parents standing on the green grass, which was scribbled in with a green crayon, with a yellow sun and a rainbow. Above the picture of a gray hamster with eyelashes was written 'Mommy'. Above the picture of a strong looking brown and tan hamster was written 'Daddy'. Finally, above the picture of a little boy Ham was written 'Me'. At the bottom was the place where Boss had signed his name with a red crayon.  
  
Boss glanced back a little. "That was the last picture I ever drew before…before the storm." He sighed and lay down on the bed. "…I can still remember the song my mom sang to me just the night before."  
  
All of the Ham-Hams looked over at him. After a couple of minutes, Boss began to sing softly.   
  
Think of me every day  
  
Hold tight to what I say  
  
And I'll be close to you  
  
Even from far away  
  
Know that wherever you are  
  
It is never too far  
  
If you think of me  
  
I'll be with you  
  
The Ham-Hams looked at each other. Hamtaro finally walked slowly up to the doorway. "…Boss? Can you tell us what happened?"  
  
"…Nah." Boss muttered. "You're too young. You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Pleeeease?" begged Hamtaro. "We wanna know!"  
  
All of the others voiced their agreement. "Yeah! C'mon, Boss!"  
  
"We wanna hear!"  
  
"C'mon!"  
  
"Tell us!"  
  
Boss stared at them. After a minute, he sighed. "Well, okay. If you really MUST know…"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ooh, it begins... ^^  
  
R & R pretty please!! 


	2. A Day With Dad

Hey, guys!!! So sorry it took so long! It's been super busy!!  
  
On first note, I decided to take the song out just because it was a little too much. So, pretend it's not there.  
  
Oh, yeah, this chapter kinda wrote itself in that it ended up seeming "And American Tail" inspired...  
  
Anyway, read on!! ^^  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro or any of its characters except Snap and Charity which I would like to be credited for if you plan to use them in a fic or such.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter Two: A Day with Dad  
  
Little Boss called from inside the deep and dark tunnel he had found. "Dad, Dad, you gotta see this tunnel! It goes on forever!!"  
  
Snap lifted his ear, trying to figure out where his son had wandered off to. "Hiff-hiff-hiff…" He sniffed, and then called out. "Boss, where are you?"  
  
"In here!"  
  
Spotting a tunnel entrance not far away, Snap walked up to it. The small, frisky form of 6-year old Boss poked out from the entrance. The young hamster's fur was patched and ruffled with dirt.  
  
"What are you doing in there?"  
  
"I found it! And it's really, really long!"  
  
Snap shook his head and smiled. "All right, son. I brought you out here to show you the forest, not to nose around the other creatures' tunnels. You don't know what's I there."  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Dad! What good is exploring tunnels if you don't know what's in them?" Boss turned around and crawled back into the depths of the tunnel.  
  
Snap poked his head in and shouted. "Boss! Didn't you listen to me? Get outta there!" Suddenly, he stopped when he heard something else scuttling around in the tunnel. It was silent for a moment.  
  
"AAAAAHHHH!!!" Boss yelled and suddenly shot out of the tunnel, leaped into Snap's arms, and clutched his dad's neck, all in one leap. Luckily, Snap was quick to catch him.  
  
After a few seconds, a skunk emerged out of the tunnel. It looked at Boss and Snap tiredly, yawned, and slinked off into the bushes.  
  
Boss finally loosened his grip of Snap as he saw the black-and-white tail disappear into the foliage. He sighed with relief. "That was close."  
  
"I told you," said Snap, "you don't know what in there."  
  
Jumping onto the ground, Boss looked at him with those innocent little eyes. "That was kinda fun, actually."  
  
Later on, the two of them walked together paw-in-paw through the forest.  
  
"You know, son," Snap started, "I've been meaning to give you something for a couple of days now."  
  
Boss looked up at him, his face lighting up. "You mean, like, an early birthday present?"  
  
Snap took off his yellow helmet. "Yeah, sort of. I think you're old enough now for it. This helmet is one that's practically been in the family for four generations. It belonged to your great-great-grandfather and it was passed down with each generation until my father gave it to me. And now, it belongs to you." He dropped the helmet on his son's head.  
  
Smiling proudly, Boss lifted up the rim of the helmet to his forehead.  
  
Snap smiled. He looked up at the sky as a soft breeze blew in. "Well, it's getting late. We should probably head home. You can show your hat to your mom."  
  
Jumping up high in the air, Boss let out an energetic shout of 'Yeah!' and took off with his father following behind him.  
  
They soon arrived to their home; a deep tunnel burrowed into the base of a giant oak tree. At the end of the tunnel was a door. Boss, who was just tall enough to touch his fingers on the doorknob, stood on the very tips of his toes and turned the knob, opening the door. He ran inside. "We're home, Mom!!" he shouted.  
  
Charity lifted her head and saw Boss scamper in, followed by Snap.  
  
"Look what Dad gave me!" the youngster said quickly.  
  
Snap smiled. "He finally got the family helmet."  
  
"Oh!" Charity smiled at Boss. "I guess that makes you the man of the house."  
  
"Yep!!" exclaimed Boss.  
  
"So, did you both have a good time?"  
  
"Great time!" shouted Boss, jumping onto an armchair in a waterfall of excited words. "The best!! We played some soccer, and then I found this really long tunnel!! Dad thought it was empty, but it actually belonged to this BIG skunk!"  
  
Charity looked at his dirt-caked fur. "Is that why you're so dirty?"  
  
"Umm…no…" Boss fibbed.  
  
Snap shook his head and smirked. "Riiiiiight."  
  
Much later, after he had a bath by his parents instructions, Boss sat on his bed with his paper and crayons. He looked at his picture he had just drawn of he and his parents standing on the grass. Still, he looked at it. He felt something was missing. Then, with a look of realization, he picked up his yellow crayon and scribbled in his new helmet on his head. Finally, he signed his name at the bottom with a red crayon. "Done!" he told himself.  
  
"Boss?"  
  
Hearing his mom, Boss quickly flopped back on the bed and dropped his head on the pillow.  
  
Charity came in. "What are you doing still up? You were supposed to be in bed half an hour ago."  
  
"Just drawing." Boss took his picture and put it under his pillow.  
  
"C'mon," Charity said, "get under the covers."  
  
Boss bounced on his bed once and burrowed under the covers like it was a tunnel. He turned and poked his head back out. "Think maybe there'll be good dirt to dig in tomorrow when we go to the fields?"  
  
Charity rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, Boss, I'm sure there will be plenty of dirt."  
  
"Cool!!" he bounced.  
  
"And the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner it'll be morning and we can go."  
  
Boss lay down and pulled the covers over his self. Charity took off his helmet and put it on one of the posts of his headboard. Then, as she leaned her head towards him, Boss reached out and hugged his mom as she nuzzled him softly. Then, she pulled the covers back over him.  
  
Charity walked towards the doorway. She switched the light off. "I love you." she said.  
  
"Love you too, Mom." Boss echoed.  
  
Charity closed the door.  
  
Up above in the sky, storm clouds slowly began to float in from the east, causing a quiet, ominous wind to blow in.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I would REALLY appreciate reviews!! ThankQ!! ^^ 


	3. Boss's New Friend

Here's Chapter 3! I think you're all in for a little surprise! ~_^  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 3 Boss's New Friend  
  
Boss was up faster than anything the next morning. He happily put his new helmet on and raced to wake his parents. Then, the three of them set off towards fields.  
  
A quarter hour later, Boss began to grow weary of walking. "…Are we almost there?" he panted, looking up at his mom.  
  
Charity looked at him. "Just about." she said. "It's right behind those bushes."  
  
As they came through the shrubbery, Boss poked his head out. He saw the field. It was an endless blanket of green grass. The wind blew sharply across it, making what seemed like waves on a green ocean. He smiled widely and galloped out. "YEAHH!!!" he cheered.  
  
"BOSS, NO!!!" Snap suddenly leaped out of the shrubs and picked Boss up with his teeth by the scruff. He quickly carried his son back to the bushes. He set him down, panting.  
  
Boss glanced up at him, immediately noting that he had just done something he shouldn't have.  
  
"It is VERY important that you NEVER run out into the open like that." Snap scolded lightly. "A bird could very easily swoop down and grab you in two seconds. You have to be careful in the fields." Snap looked up at Charity. "I'm going to go take a look out. You two stay here, and I'll call you if everything looks clear."  
  
Boss stepped back quietly to his mom's side as Snap carefully stalked out into the grass, his ears erect and his footsteps quiet. He quietly crept through, perking his ears up at the slightest sound. He looked up at each and every one of the tree branches in case some great bird of prey was watching him. At the sound of a rustle in the grass or a snap of a twig, he froze and listened.  
  
Finally, after a few more minutes, he turned to his wife and son. "Everything's safe!" he called. "You can come out!"  
  
Charity jumped ahead. "Come on, Boss!" she beckoned.  
  
A smile quickly grew on Boss's face. He raced forward like a flash. He was an incredibly fast runner for his young age and small size, so he blew right past his mom.  
  
But then, as he leaped over the peak of one rolling hill, he found the other side a little steeper than he thought it would be and he went tumbling down the slope. At the bottom, he collided into another form his size. The two of them grunted and rolled onto the ground.  
  
"Ow!! Watch where you're goin', Four-Eyes!" the form yelled. He stood and began to brush himself up.  
  
"S-Sorry…" Boss stuttered. The two boys looked up at each other and gasped. The kid that Boss had run into was another little Ham-Ham like Boss. He was light brown and white, and he wore a little red apron around his waist.  
  
"Aahh!" he yelled, backing up. "You-You're not Dexter!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Well, where is he? Geez, ya can't take 'im anywhere!!"   
  
"Who-Who're you lookin' for?"  
  
"A goofy-lookin' kid by the name of Dexter. He's around here somewhere." The young hamster ran off through the grass, towards the edge of the field. Boss ran after him.  
  
"Is he a friend of yours?"  
  
"No, he's just this annoying kid that makes small-talk all the time!"  
  
"Are you a field hamster?"  
  
"No! I belong to a girl named Goldie and I need to find Dexter so we can get back home! My pa'll squash me if I don't get home soon!!"  
  
"Are you lost?"  
  
The hamster swerved towards him and waved his arms wildly. "NO! And-dog-gone it-stop-askin-me-all-those-questions-brother!!"  
  
Boss blinked. "…Sorry, man. Nothin' personal." He tried to smile. "Hey, maybe I help look?"  
  
"Huh?" the young Ham-Ham looked at him. "You'd do that?"  
  
Boss smiled and shrugged. "Y-Yeah; I don't have anything better do really right now. I came here with my mom and dad and I don't have any brothers or sisters, so it's cool to meet another Ham my age." He stuck his paw out. "My name's Boss."  
  
A little skeptical at first, the hamster stared at his paw. Then, he smiled a little and joined paws with him. "My name's Howdy!"  
  
"Howdy?" Boss smiled. He laughed. "That's a funny name!"  
  
~*~*~*~PRESENT~*~*~*~  
  
"That's right!" Howdy said from his seat beside Dexter. "Now I remember! We met when we was just little buckaroos! I thought that little tyke in the photo looked familiar."  
  
Panda looked at Boss. "You mean that you met Howdy when you were just a kid?"  
  
"Yup." Boss admitted.  
  
Dexter gave Howdy a sideways stare. "Apparently, he decided to take a little day trip and ran away."  
  
"Dang it, I was lookin' you, Smarty-Pants!"  
  
"What're you talking about; YOU TRIED TO LOSE ME AFTER WE LEFT THE CITY!!!"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Did so!"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Did so!"  
  
"Did NOT!!"  
  
"WILL YOU BE QUIET?!?!?!" Boss shouted.  
  
The two rivals shut up and looked at him.  
  
"Getting back to the story..."  
  
~*~*~*~END PRESENT~*~*~*~  
  
After a good, long time of searching, Boss heard a loud rumble. "Geez, Howdy," he said, "was that thunder or your stomach?"  
  
Howdy slumped into a sit. "Yeah, I'm starvin'… I haven't eaten a thing since I had breakfast!"  
  
Boss frowned and looked around. As he looked to the edge of the woods, his face lit up as he spotted a batch of berry bushes. "Hey!" he smiled. "Jackpot!!"  
  
A minute later, they both stood in front of the bushes. Howdy hesitated. "Uhh…are you sure these berries are safe to eat?"  
  
Boss smiled and stood straight up in a professional stance. "You bet! My dad's already taught me how to tell between which berries are good and which ones are bad! Piece of corn." He looked at Howdy. "Dig in!!"  
  
The two young hamsters made a hearty feast of the berries. It wasn't long before their mouths were covered with juice.  
  
"So where ya from, Howdy?" Boss asked after a gulp.  
  
"Me? I'm from the city."  
  
"What's a cit-y?"  
  
"You know," Howdy said, "The city! See?" He pointed over to where the trees made a large V-shape, framing a bunch of tall skyscrapers, silvery office buildings, and departments.  
  
Boss blinked with wide eyes. "What's it like over there?"  
  
"Well, there's a lot of humans and cars n' stuff. It's busy all of the time.  
  
"Wow…" Boss breathed. "I wanna go there one day! It's always so quiet around here."  
  
"I've never met a field hamster before. What do ya do all day?"  
  
"W-Well, my dad takes me out to woods often, and there's lots of space to run and trees to climb; the other day I met this big skunk."  
  
Howdy laughed "Hee, hee! No wonder, partner! You smell like somethin' the cat dragged in, stinker!" He fell back laughing.  
  
Boss scowled. "Hey, shut up! Runnin' around all day will make ya sweat!" He smirked. "I bet you can't run worth a lick."  
  
"Don't be so sure about it, kid! I'll have you know, I keep myself fit by runnin' in my Whiz-Wheel each and every day!"  
  
Boss scoffed and turned his head. "Puh! Whiz-Wheels are for pets!"  
  
Howdy slowly walked up to him with his berry.  
  
Boss blinked. "…Howdy, what're you doin'?"  
  
Howdy scooped some berry juice up with his paw, and casually flung it on Boss's cheek.  
  
"Hey!" Boss glared at him. "So you wanna throw things, huh?" He picked one of the berries and threw it at Howdy's face.  
  
Howdy got a splat of berry in his face. "Ow! Okay, that's it! You're going down."  
  
The two soon became engaged in a playful berry fight. They threw berry after berry at each other, until both of them were completely covered in purple patches.  
  
Snap lifted his nose towards the sky and sniffed as he watched dark clouds float in. He frowned. "The air smells wet… We've got a storm coming. We best head home…" He scanned around the field, and then looked at Charity. "Where did Boss go?"  
  
"You mean he's not with you?" Charity looked around, concerned. "Oh, where did he run off to?"  
  
"I dunno, but we'd better find him quickly." Snap ran off through the field. "Boss!" he called. "Boss, it's time to come home! Where are ya, buddy?"  
  
Meanwhile, Boss and Howdy were still laughing and throwing berries at each other. Howdy suddenly stopped. "Hey, did you hear that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It sounded like thunder…"  
  
"I can't hear it. Maybe it's because I have BERRY in my EARS." He lurched back with another berry in his paw.  
  
"N-No, that was thunder." Howdy frowned. "Sorry, Boss, but I've got to go home now."  
  
Boss lowered his paw in disappointment. "Aww, do you have to?"  
  
"Sorry, but yeah. If Dexter had sense, he probably went home himself. Here's lookin' at ya, partner!"  
  
"But, Howdy…!" Boss called. He watched as Howdy ran off through the bushes towards the city. Turning around, Boss looked up and saw that the wind had blown in enormous gray clouds over the field. He sniffed the air and shuddered. Uh-oh… he thought. Look's like Howdy was right! I can't believe myself. Running off alone probably worrying Mom and Dad to death? How can I be so stupid?? Boss ran off through the grass in search for his parents.  
  
The wind continued to strengthen and the thunder grew louder. Pretty soon, Boss couldn't take one step without being blown back. He grunted and tumbled back on the ground. He finally decided that he couldn't fight this storm on foot.  
  
He had to find shelter. Fast. 


	4. Trouble In Paradise

*rises from the dead* O_o Raaaaaaaaaaa........ Heh-heh, just joshin'. I will have you guys know I apologize profusely for the delay. CURSE YOU, WRITER'S BLOCK!!! Believe me, I tried and tried to write this thing, but I got STUCK!!!! Anyhoo, here's the next chapter, although it's not as long as some of the others...  
  
Disclaimer: They ain't mine.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 4: Trouble in Paradise  
  
His ears flapping in the wind, Boss looked around at the surrounding field and held onto his hat with one paw. A strong gust of wind blew the grass around like crazy. Boss braced his arms and legs and tried to hang onto the ground to keep from blowing away. He lifted his head, almost swearing that he had heard someone calling his name.  
  
"Boss!!"  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
"Boss?"  
  
"Dad! Mom! Over here!"  
  
Upon spotting their son crouched on the ground in the distance, Snap and Charity hurried over to him. He looked up at them, his eyes wide with fear as he tried to keep from blowing away. Snap came and stood on all fours over him, relieving a bit from his struggles. "Are you okay?" he asked his son.  
  
Boss panted a little and looked up at him. "U-Uh-huh."  
  
They looked up and around at the wind whipping the grass violently as they heard the thunder roll. Rain began to fall. "N-Now, don't be scared, son…" Snap said, glancing down at the young figure under him.  
  
"I-I'm not scared…" Boss said. Suddenly, a great clap of thunder boomed loudly. Boss yelped and threw his arms around one of his dad's arms.  
  
Snap looked up to Charity. "This storm is really picking up! It's only gonna get worse!" he yelled so he could be heard over the wind and thunder. "I think we should definitely head for home now!"  
  
"You're right…" Charity said. "Let's hurry!" she turned and began back towards the forest.  
  
Boss allowed Snap to pick him up by the scruff with his teeth and then turn into the raging wind.  
  
When they finally reached the edge of the forest, the many trees curtailed the force of the wind and rain a bit, or a least enough for little Boss to withstand it on his own. As he was put down onto the ground, he shook the rainwater off of his fur. "Blecch…" he moaned. "I HATE the rain." he said to his dad.  
  
"Well, sweetie…" Charity said with a little smile, "that's April in the good ol' woodlands."  
  
A flash of lightning lighted the sky. Snap looked out to the fields and furrowed his brow. "It's a good thing we got in here when we did. This thing is really picking up."  
  
"Hold up, Ben Franklin." Charity said to her husband. "You'll remember that being in the woods in a lightning storm is dangerous as well as being in the middle of a field in one. We'll be safe if we hurry and get underground." She crawled into their tunnel under the giant oak tree.  
  
Boss and Snap started to follow her, assured that absolutely everything was safe for them again.  
  
Suddenly and unexpectedly, a gust of powerful wind blew through the trees right at them. Boss stumbled back, but Snap managed to grab him in time. But, when he did, the wind instead grabbed Boss's yellow hat, rapidly carrying it back out to the fields.  
  
"Ahh!!" Boss yelled. He took a leap at it in desperation, but missed. Then, before he knew it, he chased it back out to the field.  
  
"Boss, no!!!" Snap shouted. "Come back!!"  
  
Charity poked back out of the tunnel and gasped, then jumped to Snap's side. "Boss!!"  
  
In the field, Boss realized he had made a BIG mistake. Forgetting entirely about his hat, he clawed onto the ground as hard and fast as he could.  
  
Without hesitation, Snap leapt out into the field to rescue his young son.  
  
The storm was only getting worse, and was testing Boss's strength to its limit. And to top it off, he couldn't so much as move without the wind dragging him back. He gritted his teeth. He was the type that didn't give up so easily without a fight. And, if he could help it, he never called out for his parents when he had a problem without trying to fix it himself first. The least he could do right now was try. He grunted and pulled himself across the ground. After some struggling, he hoisted his forebody up onto a rock and clutched on. He looked around to see if he could see either of his parents or the edge of the forest.  
  
Meanwhile, Snap was enduring the wind himself, looking around frantically and calling Boss's name. A flash of lightning caused him to flinch.  
  
Boss clambered across the ground and eventually found his way underneath a solitary tree that stood out away from the forest. Upon feeling the force of the wind lift from him, he collapsed onto the ground under the tree in exhaustion, forgetting for the moment that it was one of the most dangerous places to be in a storm as bad as this.  
  
Soaked and having to use all that his powerful legs could give him, Snap clutched onto the rock and climbed up onto it to see if he could locate his young son. Through the pouring rain, he could barely make out his figure under the solitary tree. "BOSS!!" he yelled. "GET OUT OF THERE QUICKLY!!"  
  
But, because of the roar of the wind, the thunder, and the rain, Boss couldn't hear Snap calling for him.  
  
As quick as he could, Snap scaled down the rock and fought his way towards the tree. "Boss, don't stand under there!! Get outta there!!!" he yelled.  
  
Boss glanced up and noticed Snap through the rain. "Dad?"  
  
"Go!! Run!!"  
  
"Dad!!" Boss jumped up. "Over here!"  
  
"NO! GET OUTTA THERE!!"  
  
But before he could react, Boss suddenly shuddered upon feeling the tingling sensation of his fur standing on end.  
  
A sudden flash of blinding light accompanied by a loud BOOM made him yell in surprise and stagger. As he stumbled back, the wind shoved him harshly along and tossed him back into a large boulder with a shout. At the hard impact of the rock on his skull, his vision began to spin and blur up.  
  
The last thing he saw was a sudden blur of orange light before he completely blacked out.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
C'mon, brain.... Make me proud!! *starts writing next chappy, hoping writer's block won't catch her* 


	5. Hawk Fight

*rushes in, gasping for breath* I got here as fast as I could. We went to NC for a week, and that helped some. I was sitting on a patio watching a flock of hawks fly around the valley when I wrote most of this chapter, so that helped too. I didn't want to wait until I was done with MAAM (Much Ado About Meerkats) before I finished this one. Don't worry, things will be picking up again around the next chapter. ^^  
  
Disclaimer: *snort* Purple bunnies... *snore*  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 5: Hawk Fight  
  
Later that night, Boss was awoken when he felt a light continuously flashing from red to white penetrating through his eyelids. Moaning, he stirred and opened his eyes slowly. It took a while for his vision to focus, but when it finally did, he saw that the storm had ceased, and a soft red-orange glow now illuminated everything. He moaned again and held his head in his paws. Then, after a few seconds, he forced himself up on his legs. At one point, he had to catch himself from falling back down because he was so shaky. He rubbed his neck and groaned, glancing to the side. He saw his yellow helmet that had been carried by the wind, sitting there only a few yards away. Typical.  
  
He walked over and picked it up, then dropped it over his ears. He suddenly perked up, hearing a high-pitched wailing noise of some sort. "…Mom? Dad?" He lifted his nose into the air and sniffed. He furrowed his brow at an unfamiliar scent in the air in the direction of the forest. One he had never smelled before. In order to get a better look, he ran through the grass until he reached the end of the field. Parting the blades, his eyes widened at the sight of a whole part of the forest shrouded in an orange glow - What he didn't know to be fire. He raced from the fields towards the inferno that had once been his home. "Mom!!" he yelled. "Dad!!"  
  
He suddenly stopped just in time to avoid being stepped on by something as it rushed by. He yelped and fell back as he saw a human man rush by. Humans… That was something Boss DID know about, and he was always taught to be extremely careful when you see one. He resumed his run towards the forest, only the stop again when he noticed a couple of large red trucks and a whole herd of humans trying to fight the fire with a long hose.  
  
Panting, he ran through the commotion, constantly having to stop and wind around to avoid being stepped on. When he finally reached the edge of the forest, he raced in to look for his parents. However, he was suddenly slowed when he felt his eyes and chest burning for some reason. He coughed a few times and tried to keep his eyes open. "Mom!! Dad!!" he coughed. He ran through the burning woods until he finally spotted the giant oak tree that he and his parents had lived in, which was now one column of fire. Boss gasped and darted for the burrow, unaware that he could be killed. He would've been killed if a branch hadn't fallen down in his path in front of him and sent him stumbling back. With the immediate instinct to run, he scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could back out of burning woods.  
  
Coughing, he stumbled out of the forest. He panted and lumbered on all fours out into the fields, then plopped onto the ground. After a few minutes, he got up and wiped the sweat off his brow. Suddenly, he felt a shadow loom over him from above. He spun around and looked to the sky to see a red-tailed hawk swooping towards him with a screech. Boss gasped and darted off. Panting, he ran as fast as he could across the field. The hawk swooped down at her prey, but the young hamster quickly ducked right in the nick of time. He scrambled off as quickly as possible as the hawk looped around and soared across the moon to make another attempt at catching him. Boss yelled and tried to pick up his pace as the hawk came and hovered right over him. She reached out her feet and managed to hook one of its talons under Boss's scruff.  
  
Boss squirmed as he was slowly lifted off the ground. "Ahh!!" he yelped. "Put me down, you ugly thing!!" he squirmed hard, but the hawk flew higher and higher into the sky. Boss gasped as he watched the ground below him grow farther and farther away. "Ahh!! No!" He tried to squirm. "Let me go!!" He whimpered and struggled as the hawk flew off into the moonlight.  
  
After a while, the hawk had flown far away from the fields of Boss's home, out into a cluster of fields that the young hamster didn't notice at all. He wiggled like crazy, grunting and fussing at the hawk. "Look, featherbrain! You better put me down right now! I'm warning you, you take me back down to the ground now, or you'll regret it!!" But, despite his stunted efforts, he could not threaten the hawk to give in.  
  
The hawk screeched and flew through the night sky. Boss had finally given up complaining and looked around quietly at the surrounding, vacant fields.  
  
Suddenly, a brown blur zipped right by Boss and startled both him and the hawk. Boss screamed as he slipped off of the hawk's talon and hurtled towards the ground.  
  
The intruder, a small, brown, falcon, looped around and dived for Boss with a screech. But just before he nabbed the young hamster, the hawk beat him to it and snatched Boss into her talon. Boss grunted as he was caught. He gasped in panic as the falcon took another shot towards him. The hawk nimbly dodged him, eagerly protecting her midnight snack. She screeched in a threat at the pestering falcon.  
  
The falcon stubbornly continued to try and snatch Boss out of the hawk's grip numerous times. But finally, the falcon took one last dart and made a snatch for him. In her withdrawal, the hawk lost her grip on Boss, and he fell towards the ground with a scream. Both birds of prey made a final nab for him, but their efforts were in vain.  
  
Boss went falling, falling for the ground below for what seemed like a long time. He screamed and shut his eyes tight, waiting to land on the hard ground. But instead, he suddenly felt himself land on something soft and bounce across on it. "Oof!" he grunted and finally bounced to a stop on his belly. Luck being of all lucks, he had landed in the back of a pickup driving on the road in the center of the fields. The whole back of the truck was filled with bundles of hay. He slowly lifted his head up with a groan and shook it in a daze.  
  
He looked around. Then, curiously, he turned and walked over, poking his head over the edge of the truck. He gasped softly when he looked and realized that this thing he had landed in was actually moving. He had no idea where he was at all. He would've tried to have gotten a better look around if it wasn't so late into the night and if he hadn't been so tired. He slowly crawled back down into the truck. Then, he burrowed his way into the bottom of one of the hay bundles and curled up with a tired sigh, finally getting the sleep he had lost that night.  
  
In the morning, Boss was given a rather unpleasant wake-up call with the hay bundle he was sleeping in was suddenly lifted by a human man. Boss woke with a start and yelped as he fell out of the hay and tumbled onto the dirt. He rubbed his head and looked up as the human man walked off with the hay bundle in his arms.  
  
Boss looked around. He couldn't tell exactly where he was, but the air was filled with more scents he was not familiar of. Curious, he crawled over to the edge of the lowered pickup back door. He looked down at the ground below. Then, he leaped down, landing on the dirt with a grunt. But then he quickly had to dodge to the side as the human man was returning to the truck. Looking over his shoulder, Boss wasted no time in running off. But he was interrupted when he suddenly ran into something, instinctively hanging onto it. When, he looked up, he gasped when he noticed he was clinging onto the snout of a sleeping black lab. The dog made a startled snort and opened his eyes, immediately spotting the small rodent on his snout.  
  
"Oops." Boss muttered.  
  
The dog growled and jumped up. Boss yelled, fell off of the dog's snout, and ran off as fast as he could. The dog snarled and barked at him, chasing after him. Boss panted and sprinted underneath a partially uplifted rock. The lab pursued and ran up to the rock. Boss shouted as the large black snout snuck its way under and started sniffing at him. The dog growled.  
  
Suddenly, the dog lifted its head at the human man's whistle. "Duncan!" the man called. "C'mere, boy!"  
  
Altogether, the lab ignored Boss and obediently returned to his master. Boss wasted no time in running away from that place as fast as he could.  
  
Nature was certainly not on his side today. 


	6. The Gang's All Here!

One of my characters here is named Screech, who's personality is inspired by the wacky character by the same name from the 80's TV show, "Saved By the Bell". Also, one of my characters says a line about 'getting the license number...I have just been violated!!' This is one of my favorite lines from a Chris Rock character.  
  
Chapter 6: The Gang's All Here

Boss traveled all day through the fields, not really knowing where he was or where he was heading. In shorter terms, he was lost. But after wandering a bit, he found a road streaming right through the middle of the fields. He looked down the road to where, far in the distance, he spotted the tall skyscrapers of the city. At least it leads somewhere, he thought. So, he began to follow the main road.  
  
By the afternoon, Boss had made it to the place he had heard so much about from his friend Howdy. The city was a lot less peaceful as it had seemed from the distance. It was a lot more crowded and loud. People walked both ways and Boss had to constantly weave about to keep from being stepped on. He stayed away from the roads, for the sights and sounds of the enormous things Howdy had described to him as 'cars' scared him a bit.  
  
Deciding he should find something to eat, Boss began sniffing the air. It was so full of new smells that more than once, he found himself beginning to wander off in favor of a new smell. But finally, his nose led him to a dark alley lined with trash cans. Boss followed his nose and crawled into one of the trash cans that were tipped over. But almost as soon as in had gotten in and started nosing around for food, he heard something zip by behind him.  
  
Someone was following him. He looked around the dark alley, unsure of where his stalker was hiding. He gasped and swerved around upon hearing the _tink_ of something moving around the trash cans. With a quiet gasp, Boss bit his lip and very slowly backed up against the brick wall of the alley's end. He kept on hearing the sound of something stalking around the cans. And whatever it was, it was getting closer.  
  
Suddenly, the head of a mouse poked out from around one trash can. It blinked at Boss, then squeaked and ran off.  
  
Relaxing his tensed figure, Boss breathed a sigh of relief and slumped against the wall.  
  
"Hey!" a voice suddenly exclaimed.  
  
With a shout of surprise, Boss ducked to the ground and covered his head.  
  
"Kiddo, chill out! I don't bite!"  
  
Boss lifted a paw and peeked up at his visitor. She was a striking hamster with light brown and white fur that looked to be in her early 20s. She had her hair pulled back in a pink hair tie in a ponytail. "Who are you?"  
  
"Uhh…" Boss started nervously. He gasped as the girl hamster suddenly leaned in and began sniffing him. After a minute, she pulled back and furrowed her brow. "You're not from around here, are ya?"  
  
"Um, n-no…I live out in the forest, down in Nagoya."  
  
"What??" A voice called. "That's miles from here!"  
  
Boss looked and watched as a scrawny hamster with orange and cream colored fur came sulking out of a knocked over trash-can and whimpered. "A little kid like him could easily get lost or stepped on or eaten or _worse_!" The hamster whimpered again and sat down, scratching behind his ear with his back leg.  
  
"Hey, ya'llllll!!!" Another hamster with light gray fur and a tuft of hair suddenly jumped down to the scrawny hamster's side from the top of the trash can, making him jump and yelp in surprise. The hamster began talking rapidly. "What up, Screech? What's the dealio, my man??"  
  
Screech growled and jumped on him, shoving his face down into the trash. "ROCKY, DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!!!"  
  
Pushing him off, Rocky laughed and stood up. "Geez, you're so paranoid, man!"  
  
"Am not, I'm just alert to my surroundings!"  
  
"Paranoooooooid." Rocky taunted coolly.  
  
Screech growled and tackled him. The two began wrestling with each other.  
  
Bewildered, Boss watched them as they rolled about and argued.  
  
Then, yet another hamster came running up and jumped on top of a half-eaten cup of yogurt that was lying out among the trash. This one was probably the biggest hamster Boss had ever seen. He was a huge guy with black fur and a white snout. He looked at Rocky and Screech wrestling. "Hey!" the big hamster exclaimed in a gruff but goofy voice. "What's everybody doin'?"  
  
The female Boss was standing next to winced. "Oh, um, Victor, I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Then, under her breath, "_Thank heavens I'm not_."  
  
"Do what?" Victor asked obliviously.  
  
Suddenly, the aluminum seal of the yogurt top gave way from under him and caused him to fall into the cup with a shocked yelp. The cup tipped over and, with Victor still in it, went rolling rapidly down the wooden board it had been on.  
  
Boss and the female hamster watched as the cup went barreling towards Screech and Rocky, who were still fighting. The two onlookers shut their eyes and flinched back as the CRASH! of the impact was heard. When they looked up, Rocky, Screech, and Victor were all heaped together in a pile, their fur patched with strawberry yogurt.  
  
Rocky lifted his head up from under Victor's tail with a ticked-off look. "Somebody get the license number on that Semi! I have just been violated!!" He squirmed out from under the big hamster. "You'll be speakin' with my lawyer, PAL!"  
  
Screech stumbled back out of the pile with the yogurt cup on his head. "Help!" he yelled in a muffled voice. "Help! Get me outta here!" He finally managed to get his head out and stumbled back.  
  
As Rocky began to walk forward, he looked ahead and spotted Boss. His eyes widened and he suddenly gasped deeply. "Field dweller!!" he exclaimed and held his arms out to keep the others back. "Freeze!"  
  
Screech and Victor skidded to a stop, all three of them bunched together in a line. They all stared at Boss like he had three heads.  
  
Rocky held as still as he could. "Don't let them see ya sweat. They can smell your fear just by lookin' at ya. So don't move a muscle."  
  
The female rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Overreact much, Rocky?"  
  
"Shh!" Rocky silenced her, still staring at Boss. "Don't say a word…"  
  
Blinking in confusion, Boss looked at them and opened his mouth to say something.  
  
"It's after us!!" Rocky yelled suddenly. "SCATTER!!!" The three hamsters all screamed and dove like crazy into the trash piles.  
  
"Will you three knock it off?!" the female asked, exasperated.  
  
Rocky and Victor stepped out of the trash with chortles. "Hee-hee." Rocky laughed. "Fine, fine, okay."  
  
"What?" Screech poked his head out, having not expected it was actually a joke. "Oh, fine then!" he frowned. "Give us all a heart attack, Rock."  
  
"Don't tell me you actually _believed_ it."  
  
"I never said that." Screech said cockily.  
  
"Cool it, guys." the female said to them. "The kid's from Nagoya and I think he got a little lost."  
  
"A _little_ lost?" Screech repeated and rolled his eyes. "…No dip."  
  
"No!" Boss started. "I'm not lost! Well, I mean I wa- but I am- well, ya see-"  
  
"Aw, no worries, kid." Chrissie smiled at him. "We'll look out for ya. What's your name?"  
  
"B-Boss."  
  
"Well, Boss, I'd like to introduce ya to the gang. She pointed to the three boys. "That's Victor, that's Screech, and that's Rocky."  
  
Rocky walked up and put his arm around Boss's shoulder in one of those side-hugs. "Yo, my brother!" he pointed to the female who had walked over to join the rest. "And that there's Chrissie. She's a display, eh?" Rocky laughed deviously and called out. "Chrissie! Hello, sweetie!" He jockeyed his eyebrows. "Talk to me! Talk to me, baby!"  
  
Chrissie shot him a glare. "Shut up Rock, before I stuff you."  
  
"Ooh, she's got spunk!" Rocky grinned and darted after his love-life.  
  
Victor leaned in to get a closer look at Boss. "Hey, how'd you get all the way out here anyway?"  
  
Boss stuttered. "Well, t-there was the fire in our forest a-and this big hawk came down and grabbed me and brought me here and dropped me into a hay car and then I found my way here. But Mom and Dad will be looking for me; I know it!"  
  
"Eh, I dunno, little buddy. That's a loooooong way from here." Screech said.  
  
"You know," Chrissie said to Boss. "Maybe you should hang around with us, kid. It's pretty dangerous out here, especially once the sun goes down. You're gonna need somebody to look after ya."  
  
Boss frowned, a little unsure, but then he looked up at her. "Well...I guess I could stay just a little while…"  
  
"Well, kid," Screech suddenly reached his arm around Boss's shoulder and pulled him into a death-hug. "Welcome to the gang!!"  
  
"Whoa, whoa!" A voice called. "Hold up, there, Screech!"  
  
Everyone turned around. The silhouette of a hamster was seen in the shadows as it slid down the last railing of the fire escape stairs, leaped onto a leaning trashcan, and then jumped onto the ground in front right as the trash can tipped over and made a crash. Boss couldn't make out anything but the silhouette of the hamster as it lifted its head up to them. Then slowly, it walked out of the shadows and into the light.  
  
The hamster was a shady-looking figure with dark gray fur. He had a patch of white on almost his entire face and another small patch on his left leg. But his most noticeable feature was a large scar that branched over his left eye and down that side of his face.  
  
That's the chap!! And if you're curious, here's a list of voices for the gang. X)  
  
Young Boss - Sam Gifaldi (Fluke's Yong Fluke and Hey Arnold's Sid) Note: I don't watch Hey Arnold, but I saw he was credited for it and you would know the show, not me)  
  
Raphael - Denis Leary (Ice Age's Diego and Bug's Life's Francis)  
  
Chrissie - Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls' Lorelai)  
  
Screech - Austin Pendleton (Finding Nemo's Gurgle)  
  
Rocky - Max Casella (Dinosaur's Zini and TLK on Broadway's Timon)  
  
Victor - Wayne Knight (Space Jam's Stan and Toy Story 2's Al)


	7. The Society of Street Ham

Oy.......... I am SO sorry for the delay, guys. I started writing the next chap and a lot of it was getting done, but it was going way past my average at 2 or 3 pages per chapter. So I had to split it into 2 chapters. I waited a while for inspiration to hit, but finally when I was playing PS2, I thought "The thing's not gonna write itself...". So here ya go!  
  
Before I forget, I got the idea of Boss being raised in a street gang from some other Hamtaro fic. There was a single mention of the scenario in the fic, but that was all. I forget what the name was of the fic or the author, but if it was your story that inspired me, let me know and I'll credit ya for it. :o)

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Chapter 7: The Society of Street Ham  
  
Boss blinked as the dark figure came towards them. All this time, he had gathered that Chrissie was the leader of this pack, but by the way the others reacted to this stranger, he was proven wrong.  
  
The group gasped quietly. "R-Raphael!" Victor exclaimed timidly.  
  
Raphael approached the gang. He looked at Boss suspiciously. "Nobody joins the gang without my say-so." Boss's pride seemed to shrink with his size as the dark figure came and loomed over him. The hamster furrowed his brow. "Who are you?"  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"You said you were from Nagoya, right?"  
  
"Um…y-yes."  
  
"Ha-ha…" Screech grinned sheepishly. "M-Must've taken a lot of moxie for him to have come all this way on his own, huh?"  
  
Raphael looked at Boss thoughtfully for a moment as if he was inspecting him, but then he smiled at the young hamster, admittedly impressed. "You've got strength, kid. What's your name?"  
  
"…Boss." the young hamster forced a small, polite smile.  
  
"So you're telling me…you traveled here from Nagoya all by yourself without any help along the way?"  
  
"Y-Yeah…"  
  
"I'm impressed. Going on a journey like that takes a lot of will-power and courage. But don't you have any parents?"  
  
"Yeah, but… I got separated from them and that's how I wound up here. T-There was this big storm, and Daddy was trying to find me cause I was out in the fields. Then there was all this light and loud sound and I tried to find them, but I couldn't!"  
  
Rocky leaned out from behind Victor. "Wh-oaa…. That _is_ a big problem."  
  
"A-And I gotta find them! I-I need your help…! Please?"  
  
"But how would we get there? It's miles away! It would take hours for us to get there!" Screech looked at Victor, who simply shrugged.  
  
Rocky got a smirk on his face. "Oh, would it?"  
  
The gang looked at him. "Uh-oh…" Chrissie said. "I know that look. You only get that look when you're up to something."  
  
"So sue me, Chrissie baby." Rocky said. "But I happen to know that a certain red mini-cooper is taking a day trip down towards Nagoya."  
  
"…You're kidding…" Raphael cocked one of his ears up.  
  
"Kidding I am not. Tomorrow morning it's heading out from the car repair station."  
  
Boss turned towards Raphael. "Mr. Raphael, can we go? Please, can we go?"  
  
"C'mon, Raffi!" called Victor. "The kid needs help!"  
  
"Yeah!" Rocky smiled. "And if I know you, Raffi, you never miss the chance to take a car ride! Besides," he raised his eyebrows and spoke in a singsong voice. "It's a mini-cooper…"  
  
Raphael lowered an eyebrow and looked around at them all. Then he rolled his eyes and smiled slightly. "…Yeah, yeah, we'll go."  
  
"Yeah!!" Boss leaped into the air.  
  
"Alriiiiight!!" Raphael cheered. He began to do a small hip dance. "We gon' be chillin' in da cooper! Ha-ha!"  
  
Screech smiled and the two hamsters slapped each other's paws.  
  
But then Raphael turned serious and glared at Boss. "Under one condition. I can't afford chasing after any little whelp like I'm a nanny. I don't need anybody causing trouble in my gang. So stick with the group and just do as I say. Are we clear?"  
  
Putting on a serious face, Boss nodded.  
  
"Uh...c'mon, guys." Chrissie called. "It's time to start hittin' the hay here."  
  
Boss looked up. Chrissie was right. None of them had noticed how dark it was getting.  
  
Once everybody started bedding down, Boss realized that it was rather hard to find a place to sleep that was not occupied. He went to the first gang member's sleeping place he could find - where Rocky was lying inside an old tin can. Nervously looking around at the dark alley, Boss climbed up into the can and curled up right next to Rocky. He closed his eyes and laid his head down.  
  
Rocky opened one eye in irritation and looked over at him. He frowned and lightly pushed him away. "C'mon, kid. Knock it off already. Go find your own place to siesta." And on that note, the hamster stood, turned and laid back down, his back facing young Boss.  
  
Frowning, Boss turned and took a look around. His ears perked up when he saw Screech walking onto an old, torn rag to sleep. Boss started to approach it, but he was welcomed fairly rudely. "Hey. Hey!" Screech defended his sleeping spot. He pointed to the ground in front of him. "Invisible line, right here, champ! No passy for the kiddy!"  
  
Getting the feeling he was unwelcome, Boss turned and looked up where Chrissie was lying in an old hatbox that lay on its side with one eye open as if she had been awakened Screech's complaining. Irritated, she gave a look at both Boss and Screech. "Good _night_, you two. It's _lights out_." She rolled over so her back was facing them.  
  
Boss sighed. He walked over to the fallen yogurt cup where Victor was sleeping. Poking his head in, he spotted the large hamster lying on his back, snoring his head off. As a matter of fact, this guy was loud enough to wake the dead. Boss shut one eye tight and cringed at the sound of the next loud snore. He wasn't _that_ desperate for a place to sleep. He turned and looked over to the one last gang member left to try. Raphael was already asleep, curled up in the corner of an old, tipped wooden crate with a blanket layering its floor. Boss bit his lip, then slowly walked over. He came up to Raphael's side and curled up next to him. He didn't seem to wake up, so Boss laid his head down and closed his eyes to sleep.  
  
Raphael suddenly stirred and opened his eyes. He lifted his head and looked at the young hamster next to him. After a second of staring, Raphael shook his head and rolled his eyes. This kid might have been strong-willed, but he was getting a bad start on Street-Ham-Self-Dependence 101. He stood up and lumbered off. Boss opened his eyes and looked over as Raphael shambled to the other corner of the crate and flopped down onto the ground with his back on him.  
  
Boss looked at him, and then sighed as he put his head back down and tried to sleep. It was a Ham-eat-Ham world out here, and he had learned that something as simple as bedtime could be cruel and unwelcoming. Living in the streets was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

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Yeah, it's short, but things will be picking up in the next chapter! _Au revoir_!! 


	8. Search Party

Wow......good thing I chopped up those chapters. This one STILL went beyond average page length, so this is a long chapter! Enjoy!  
  
But some of you more sensitive readers might want some tissues or somethin' for this chapter......  
  
---  
  
Chapter 8: Search Party  
  
"_Whoaaa, I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around. I'm never in one place; I roam from town to town! And when I find myself fallin' for some gal, I hop right in that car of mine; travel 'round the world, cause I'm a wanderer, yeahh, I'm a wanderer, I roam a-round, a-round, a-round, a-round…_"  
  
"Hey, dreamer!!" Chrissie yelled up to Rocky, who was on the top of the cracked-open window, fur blowing in the wind. "Get your head down unless you wanna go with the windblown look!!"  
  
"I can't hear you, Chrissie-babe! I'm rockin' up here!" Rocky pulled his head out of the wind, then turned and jumped back down onto the car seat where the rest of the gang was. The tuft of fur on his head was a bit bigger and fluffier now. "Hoo, boy!"  
  
"Lovin' the 'do there, Rock." Raphael smirked.  
  
"Very…rustic." Screech put in.  
  
Rocky put his paw out in a very suave manner. "Please ladies, slow down. There's enough of The Rock to go around. Ouch. Don't crowd, ladies."  
  
Chrissie scoffed. "Give me one measly reason why they should."  
  
Rocky looked at her. "Uhh, because I'm cute?" he grinned innocently.  
  
Lowering an eyebrow, Chrissie gave him an unimpressed look.  
  
The cooper suddenly slowed and stopped, as if it was parking somewhere  
  
Boss looked up and saw the side of the forest that had survived the storm, still fairly green. "…There it is." he said, sounding a bit surprised.  
  
"Huh?" Chrissie and Rocky looked at him.  
  
Boss's face brightened. "There it is!!" He jumped to his feet and raced to the window. "There it is! We made it! We made it!!"  
  
The rest of the gang joined him at the window. When they saw the forest, they smiled.  
  
"Ha-ha!!" Rocky laughed. "There's a light at the end of the tunnel, my friends!!"  
  
"Yeah!!" Boss cheered.  
  
They heard the car ignition turn off, and then two humans came out of the car and walked off.  
  
Raphael looked at Boss. "Go on, kid. You first."  
  
Boss blinked and looked at him. "Huh…? M-Me?"  
  
"Yeah, you. Go on."  
  
Nervously, Boss looked up at where the window was cracked open. His face turned to a look of unsure determination and he turned towards the back of the car seat. He jumped and grabbed onto the material, slowly scaling up to the top. The rest of the gang followed close behind. When Boss reached the top, he crouched and took a leap for the open window. He clutched onto it with his front paws and clambered until he could grasp all fours on the window. He looked down from his high perch and gulped, then looked back at the rest of the gang.  
  
"Go on," Victor said, "we're right behind ya!"  
  
"C'mon, kid," Rocky called. "Leap of faith!"  
  
"Just jump out as far as you can!" said Raphael  
  
Boss looked back down at the road. Then, he gathered all of his courage and jumped out as far as he could. He yelled as he bounced along the road and came to a tumbling stop. Only a second later, Rocky came falling down right beside him with a whoop. He sat up and rubbed his head. "Ouch… Ahh!!" Rocky yelled and leaped out of the way as Screech dropped down to join them, letting out a yell as he tumbled to a stop. Then Chrissie came down and joined them, bouncing across the ground and landing on her stomach. "It's raining Ham!!"  
  
Chrissie looked up. "Yaah, dive for cover!!" she yelled and dived at all of them, pushing them out of the way as Victor came and crashed down onto his stomach where they had stood.  
  
Finally, Raphael came down, tucking his head beneath his body as he touched the ground so he skillfully somersaulted and came to a stop on all fours.  
  
Boss turned and looked up the steep hill, where the section of the forest he lived in stood on the other side. He began running up the hill, panting as he climbed.  
  
"Hey!" Screech called. "Wait up, kid!" The gang followed behind, climbing up the hill.  
  
Panting as he reached the top, Boss pulled himself up onto level ground and lifted his head. His face quickly turned from a smile to a frown as he looked at the forest. The trees were blackened and burnt, and there was barely any trace of green in the whole section that had been scorched.  
  
The gang soon joined him on level ground, panting from climbing the steep hill. They all looked up at the forest. Their mouths hung open.  
  
"Holy smokes." Raphael said.  
  
Screech looked around. "_This_ is your forest?"  
  
"Well, what's _left_ of it at least." Chrissie remarked.  
  
Rocky leaned towards Raphael and muttered. "You really think we'll be able to find the kid's folks in this place, Raffi?"  
  
"Well, we told him we'd at least try…" Raphael said back. He looked at Boss. "What do your parents look like, kid?"  
  
"Well, um, my dad Snap basically has the same markings as me, but the patch on his snout only covers his nose. And my mom is gray with a white star print on her forehead. Her name is Charity."  
  
"Okay, gang." Raphael said to the others. "Split up and start sniffin'. Call if ya find anything."  
  
"We're on it!" Chrissie exclaimed. The gang dispersed throughout the woods  
  
As the whole gang was searching, Boss wandered around the burnt trees, looking wide-eyes at the scenery he used to recognize. He suddenly stopped when he came to the giant oak tree that _was_ where he and his parents lived. Looking up, he noted that almost halfway up the tree that the trunk had snapped and fallen over, making almost a bridge-like angle to the ground. The young hamster walked forward and burrowed down into the old tunnel.  
  
As he walked through the tunnel and eventually came towards the end, he noticed that the door had scorched and had somewhat fallen of the hinges. As he moved into the house, Boss's mouth and eyes widened at the sight of wreckage. There were heaps of burnt, torn wood and cloth where furniture used to be. But the most horrifying sight was at the east of the main room, where the ground that had supported the wall there had caved in, leaving a small section of the wall gone. All that was left of it was the frame where two tree roots stood on each side. It was apparently through this entrance that the fire had crept in when a burning branch fell and caused it to collapse.  
  
Boss looked and suddenly noticed something beneath the dirt where the wall had caved in. He went up and brushed some dirt away, at least just enough to pull the object out. It the drawing he had made the very night before the fire. It had miraculously survived the flames, except for some blackening on the edges, thanks to its burial place in the dirt. After looking at it for a moment, Boss slowly folded in up. He took off his helmet and placed the folded piece of paper inside, tucking it securely into the crease.  
  
Raphael wandered around the blackened woods, sniffing around as Boss and the rest of the gang did their part in the search. Eventually, the gang leader wandered to the edge of the woods where his nose picked up some kind of scent. He looked forward and saw the solitary tree not from the forest edge. It was missing some of its branches and it was mildly scarred from where a bolt of lightning had hit it. Approaching it, he squinted at the sight of something lying in the rubble underneath a fallen branch. Looking closer, he noted the markings of the hamster that had apparently been killed when the branch fell. He looked at the splotches of brown on the hamster's nose, ears, and lower body. Seeing the resemblance between this hamster and Boss, Raphael realized that he had found the dead body of Boss's father, Snap. He winced and looked back at the forest, where Boss was still running around and calling for his parents. He knew he had told the others to call if they found anything, but now he was having second thoughts. For Boss to see either of his parents bodies if they were both dead would be heartbreaking and terrifying for a boy only his age. It would probably be wisest to tell the rest of the gang the same thing.  
  
"Umm…Raphael?" Rocky called out from the edge of the forest. "You might wanna come see this…"  
  
Too late. Raphael ran towards the forest's edge where Rocky was calling. Little Boss lifted his head from inside the tunnel. He climbed out of the wide gap in the wall and began to follow Raphael.  
  
Raphael stopped and turned his head to look at him. "N-No, no. Y-You'd better stay here."  
  
Boss looked at him in puzzlement, but then he obediently sat onto the ground and watched him run off.  
  
As he approached where Rocky was, Raphael got that same scent in the air he had gotten just a minute before. He winced, fearing the worst.  
  
Rocky turned his head towards his leader with an unsure grimace. "Look." he said, pointing towards another figure lying among the rubble. Stepping forward, Raphael saw that it was just the thing he hoped it hadn't been. The hamster was female. Though her fur color was hard to distinguish since it had been dusted by the fire's ash, Raphael could tell it was gray. He looked up at the female's forehead, and sure enough, there was the star print that labeled her as none other but Charity. She had apparently stayed in her place at the edge of the forest after the lightning had started a fire that spread through the fields and all the way to the forest, although she must have tried hard to escape her doom. Both Raphael and Rocky looked at each other. "Um…" Rocky started. "So something's telling me we've got a new team member?"  
  
A few minutes later, Raphael walked back over to where Boss was. The young hamster was sitting on his haunches and staring at the ground, clearly exhausted from searching so much for his parents. His fur was a bit dirty from climbing over and under branches that had practically turned to ash. He glanced up at Raphael as he approached.  
  
"Hey, kid," Raphael forced a plastic smile, "you're looking a little bushed."  
  
Boss sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his paw. "Raphael, where are they?"  
  
Raphael winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I'm afraid that your mom and dad had to move on, Squirt. You won't be seein' them again."  
  
Boss looked at him, confused. He didn't quite understand death at his young age. All he knew was that when someone died, he would never see them again. Somehow he knew that Raphael was right. He frowned and stared down at the ground in dismay.  
  
"Hey, Raffi!" Victor called from where the gang was standing together, looking out onto the main road. "Look!"  
  
Both Boss and Raphael ran towards the group. Raphael walked in front and stood on his hind legs to get a good view.  
  
Looking out, Boss spotted a large white truck driving down the road towards the city.  
  
"Cheese and crackers!!" Screech panicked and dove at the ground. "It's them Redcoats again!!"  
  
Rocky bowed his head and put a paw to his heart. "Parkston Testing Labs back to torture the innocent victims of the quadruped family. Poor lost souls."  
  
"Who are they?" Boss asked, looking up at Rocky. "What's wrong with them?"  
  
"They're bloodsucking vampires that constantly take advantage of our world and treat us like we're some kind of animal… You don't wanna know the gory details."  
  
"Know this, hon." Chrissie said. "Whatever you do, just don't let those guys catch you."  
  
"Chrissie's right." Raphael said with a suspicious glare at the truck. "You can't trust those guys in the least. They track small game like us just to wire us up and force things into us I can't mention here."  
  
Boss shuddered. "W-Wire us up?"  
  
Grabbing his shoulders, Screech yanked the young hamster up so they were snout-to-snout. "And worse!! Some humans will even take a hamster, dismantle it to a million pieces and mess-your-hair-up-so-bad-that-your-mother-don't-even-recognize-you!!!"  
  
Suddenly, Chrissie came up and whacked Screech upside the head, making him drop Boss onto the ground. "Hey, Sir Gabs-a-Lot! How 'bout we get goin' before ya get yourself a Charlie Horse?"  
  
"I'm with you." Raphael agreed. "We don't want any birds to find us anyway. We'd best find ourselves a transport."  
  
"Hey!!" Chrissie called, pointing to a car coming down the road in the distance. "That one! That one!! It's a convertible!!"  
  
The gang raced down the hill. "Shotgun!!!" Rocky yelled.  
  
Boss took a step down the hill after the gang. He stopped and sadly glanced back for one last look at the burnt forest he had once called home before joining the others down the hill.  
  
Late that night when everyone had bedded down in the alley, Boss had found his own sleeping spot in a tipped over can. He lay on his stomach with his head laid on top of his paws. He stared at the ground.  
  
On the way to his crate, Raphael noticed the young hamster lying idly in the can. He stopped and looked at him. Then, he sighed and slowly approached. "…Hey," he called, trying to make it sound like the start of a friendly conversation as much as he could. "Whatcha doin', Squirt?"  
  
"Nothin'…" Boss muttered quietly.  
  
Raphael shifted his eyes left and right, and then tried to force a smile. "Well I, uh…guess you're gonna be hangin' around with us for a while, huh?"  
  
But Boss didn't seem to be listening. He was staring at the ground sadly with his ears drooped. "…Am I really never gonna see my parents again, Raphael?"  
  
Raphael frowned. He sighed and glanced at the ground. "…Yeah, Squirt." he finally said. "…It's true."  
  
Boss shifted his eyes down sadly. He sat up and turned his back on him, his ears drooped sadly.  
  
"Look…we've all been in the same boat as you. All of us in the gang are orphans too. That's one thing we all share. Sure, Rocky may be an annoying flirt and Victor may be a few apples short of barrel… But we're a family. And one thing you gotta get in your head, Boss: We stick with each other, no matter what. Listen to me; I've seen a lot of kids that have made a livin' out here in the streets. But you're something different."  
  
Raphael turned Boss towards him. The young hamster had tears in his eyes.  
  
"_You_ are unlike any kid I've seen. You have potential, you have courage, and you've _got_ what it takes to be a true Street Ham. But you've gotta take charge and live your own life! _No one_ chooses what you're gonna do with your life but you. You've gotta stop simply dreaming about it and go out there and _do_ it. You do that and you're gonna be unstoppable."  
  
Boss stared at him for a minute, looking like he was processing all of this. Finally he sniffled and bowed his head. He leaned against the side of the can and put his head back down on his paws. He sighed and looked up at Raphael. "Hey, uh…thanks for helping me try and find them anyway."  
  
Raphael smirked. "No biggie, kid. I guess you're gonna be joining the gang, huh?"  
  
"Huh? You mean I can stay here?"  
  
"Sure, sure. We'll teach ya the tricks of the trade if you can prove yourself a worthy member of the gang."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"You think you're up to becoming a tried and true Street Ham?"  
  
Boss smiled a little. "Yeah."  
  
"What? What was that? I couldn't make it out."  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Did I hear a 'yes'?"  
  
Boss got to his feet determinedly and got in his face. "Yeah!!"  
  
"Yeah!" Raphael smiled. "That's what I'm talkin' about!! Get a good night's sleep Squirt, because tomorrow we're gonna see what you can dish out and serve here in the city streets!"  
  
---  
  
A/N: The quote Screech made about 'mess-your-hair-up-so-bad' etc... is actually a quote from The Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which is really quite funny! XD 


	9. Boss In Training

Sheez-Louise, it's been ages, eh? I've had serious writer's block on this chapter. It's been realllly hectic here lately. First of all, I started school back up and I've been really busy with that. I've also recently signed up on the Lion King Fanart Archive, so I've been doing lots of art for that. Then, we had to evacuate becuase of Hurricane Frances. After we got back, we had had a tree fall on our powerline, so we were witout electricity for a _week_. Then Ivan and now Jeanne is coming, and I'm able to post this thing before our power went out. This is a turning point in the story, so it took me a hard long while to do this. I think I was thinking about the movie Hook when I wrote this. XD  
  
---  
  
Chapter 9: Boss In Training  
  
Young Boss strode along behind Raphael as the two of them trotted down the busy sidewalk of the city. The morning crowd was busy with people going back and forth, tending to their errands.

"Hey, Raphael?" Boss called. "Where we goin' anyway?"

Raphael walked briskly down the sidewalk. "I, uh, just gotta friend of mine I'd like ya to meet personally."

As they walked down the sidewalk, the scent of a nearby snack stand got Boss's attention. The young hamster sniffed the air. "Hey!" he ran up to the cart and propped his front paws up on the side. "W-What's that smell?" He continued to inhale the scent of fresh, hot, buttered popcorn. He hadn't eaten since he had been separated from his parents, and the scent was taunting him. He jumped and made an attempt to climb up.

"Hey, Squirt!" Raphael walked up and pulled him back by the tail. "That's not a very smart thing for a greenhorn to do. You could get caught." He began to walk down a wide alleyway. "C'mon, now! Time's a wastin'!"

Boss ran to catch up with him as they walked down the alleyway. He looked around. "What is this place?"

"This is where my pal lives. His name is Lucky. He's an orphan like all of us, and he's made a livin' out here in the streets. He's a master when it comes to self-survival. But when you meet 'im, just make sure and keep to yourself. You know, take on the cutesy, innocent approach, okay?"

"Okay."

Raphael led Boss down to the end of the alley. There, sitting against the wall was a young human boy. His brown beret was pulled over his eyes. Raphael walked right up and grabbed the corner of the boy's ratty white T-shirt with his teeth and pulled.

The boy lifted the beret from his eyes and looked down at him. "Raphael! Where ya been all day, ya little rat? I've been waitin' for ya!" He looked and saw Boss standing beside Raphael. "Hey! You must be new, ya little codger!"

"What'd he call me??" Boss asked, thoroughly confused.

"It's a human thing." Raphael told him. "And Lucky's a human, so just go with it."

Lucky put his open hand on the ground in front of Boss. "C'mere, little guy!"

Stepping back, Boss looked at Raphael for direction.

"C'mon, Squirt. Don't pull back! He thinks you're cute, so start acting like it!" he said.

Still a tad bit unsure, Boss climbed into Lucky's hand. He was lifted up to the boy's face. Smiling, Lucky took a finger and scratched him behind the ear. Boss gratefully accepted it and took it in. He decided that this new creature was all right. He rolled onto his back as Lucky began to scratch his belly. If Boss had been a dog, he would've wagged his tail.

When Lucky lowered his hand back down, Boss climbed off and joined Rocky on the ground.

"Well," Lucky said, and reached into his pocket. "You hungry, Raffi? Managed to grab a little somethin'." He pulled out a single piece of popcorn and offered it to Raphael. The Street Ham gladly took it and began to nibble on it.

Boss looked at Lucky, who laughed a little.

"C'mon, don't give me that look. I haven't forgotten about you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another single popcorn piece. He gave it to Boss. The young hamster smiled, snatched it, and began to gnaw on it hungrily. When he had taken it, he was so ravenous that he accidentally bit Lucky on the tip of the finger.

"Ouch!" Lucky pulled his hand back. "Hey, don't bite the hand that feeds ya, little guy!" he joked. Then, he stood and picked up his bag. "Now I've got papers to sell, so you two beat it."

Raphael and Boss walked back down the sidewalk minutes later. "So, whaddaya think of Lucky?" Raphael asked.

"I like 'im! He's cool…! At least for a human."

Raphael shrugged and smiled a little. "Of course."

The two hamsters walked back down the sidewalk. "Now, listen up, kid," Raphael said. "If you wanna be part of the gang, we've gotta know if you're worthy of it. It ain't your pretty pine tree world out here. That's one thing you gotta get through your head. Here, you gotta fight 24/7 to keep yourself alive. Just watch, all of us are gonna get you into fit fighting shape."

Back at the alley, Rocky smiled mischievously as he paced back in forth across from Boss, who was doing the same.

"Go easy on 'im, Rocky!" Raphael called from where the rest of the gang stood and watched. "He's just a kid!"

"Round one, DING!!" Rocky suddenly shouted and bolted for his opponent.

Young Boss crouched and growled, then ran and leaped on him. Rocky quickly received him, then turned and caught him in a headlock. Boss struggled, pulled himself away, and pounced again. They both wrestled and scuffled for a few minutes, but it was clearly obvious that Rocky was the superior here. More times than one, he successfully pinned Boss to the ground.

"End round one!!"

Boss pushed Rocky off, got up, and walked over to where they stood across from each other again.

"Show no mercy, kid!" Rocky said.

"Show no mercy! Show no mercy!" the gang chanted.

Boss looked back and forth between Rocky and the gang.

"_YAAAHHH!!!!_" Rocky screamed and barreled towards Boss.

"_YAAAHHH!!!!_" the gang yelled in unison and pumped their fists in the air.

Boss scowled in determination. "_YAAAHHH!!!!_" he shouted at the top of his lungs and hurtled himself towards Rocky. But at the last second, Rocky leaped out of the way and Boss instead tripped and tumbled until he collided upside-down against the wall, his tail hanging in front of his eyes.

Rocky brushed himself off with satisfaction. "And _that_ is the last time you tangle with The Rock."

Rolling her eyes, Chrissie leaned towards Victor and muttered "You know you've lost all means of self-pride when you start addressing yourself after a wrestling figure."

Raphael sighed and hung his ears. "Let's try something else."

Later, Victor stood at the end of the alley. His arms were folding across his chest, and he had a sly smirk on his face. Boss stood at the open end of the alley. "G'head!" Victor smirked. "Make my day."

Boss launched into a sprint and ran towards the big hamster as fast as he could. When he reached him, he rammed into Victor's belly hard, but then bounced off like a tennis ball thrown against a brick wall. He tumbled onto the ground until he crashed into a pile of cans. "Oog…" Boss climbed out of the pile after a few seconds and shook his fur.

"Stamina!" Raphael observed "Check!"

Boss shook his head dizzily and wavered on his four feet.

That afternoon, Boss was digging through one of the trash cans in search for food. Suddenly, a cat seemed to leap out at him. He screamed and leaped up, darting off like a rocket. Victor, Rocky, Chrissie, and Screech all poked their heads out from behind the cat mask and grinned.

"Speed!" Raphael looked on from the top of the fire escape railing. "Check!"

When evening came, Boss was sneaking along the shadows of the alley, trying to lay a surprise attack on Screech and Raphael. With a mischievous smirk on his face, he leaped up on top of some old boxes and crept quietly along until suddenly, he stepped onto a weak box and he slipped, falling into a mess of packaging popcorn and paper shreds. Raphael and Screech looked up just in time to see him fall in.

"Cunning…" Raphael started. "…needs a little work."

That night, Boss lay in his new sleeping spot inside the tin can, out light a light from training all day. He was lying on his back with his head propped up against the side of the can, all four legs in the air, and his mouth hanging open.

"Dead-out sleeping position." Raphael and Rocky looked at each other and smirked. "Check."

The next morning, Boss stirred awake in his tin can. At first he thought that either he wasn't seeing straight or he was dreaming, but then he realized that he was looking at everything upside-down because he was lying on his back. He rolled onto his stomach, then slowly stood and yawned. It was early morning and he could see the other gang members still sleeping in their spots. But then he heard a familiar male voice singing.  
  
_...Broke the lookin' glass_

_Seven years of bad luck_

_The good things in your past_

_When you believe in things_

_That ya don't understand_

_You suffer_

_Superstition ain't the way  
_

He noticed it was coming from inside one of the standing trash cans. He heard the singer moving around in the trash as he sang. He smiled. He knew who the only hamster singing that song this early in the morning would be.

He climbed to the top of the trash can. Sure enough, there was Raphael digging through the trash and singing.  
  
_…Do all that ya can_

_Keep me in a daydream_

_Keep me goin' strong_

_You don't wanna save me_

_Sad is my song  
_  
"Hey, Raphael!" Boss greeted him.

Raphael looked up. "Oh, heya, Squirt."

"Whatcha doin' up here?"

"Meh, hanging around."

"I've been having the time of my life out here!"

"Mmm." Raphael muttered, continuing to dig.

"No rules, no restrictions…" Boss spun around and fell back into a crumpled newspaper. "Oh, yeah. This is the way to live."

"That's great, kid." Raphael said unenthusiastically.

"Come tomorrow, I'm gonna be the official Numba 6!!"

Raphael stopped digging and looked up at him. He lowered an eyebrow. "…You're sure about that."

"Yeah! I mean, I'm not the type to brag, but I was born for this kind of style. I think I'm ready to be part of the gang."

Raphael smirked and rolled his eyes, returning to digging through the trash.

Boss looked at Raphael's scar. His face became more solemn.

"…So, uh…" he started. "…H-How did that happen?"

Raphael looked up at him in slight irritation, but then his face softened and he looked down. "…Had a best friend named Oscar when I was a kid. Long story short, we were in an alley looking for food and had a run-in with a cat. I tried to help Oscar outta there, but in the end, all I came out with was this thing and no Oscar. That's when I learned what happens when ya get involved with someone else's problems."

"…Oh…" Boss muttered, regretting that he even said anything.

"Hey, look, you should get what little sleep you can before everybody wakes up and causes a riot."

Without saying a word, Boss switched his eyes to the side, then he walked over to the side of the trash can and climbed down the side.

As he went out of sight, Raphael looked up from his digging. He walked over to the side of the trash can and watched as Boss climbed back into his tin can. He muttered to himself.

"I'm getting too soft…"

---

Oscar's actually one of the names I've reserved for my hamster when I eventually get one. It's a cool name.


End file.
